NBC News: No guarantees for Afghan women in draft U.S.-Taliban deal
“The United States once vowed to liberate Afghan women from the draconian repression of the Taliban, but a planned deal between the U.S. and the insurgents offers no protections for the country’s women, who fear that their hard-won rights could be lost. … For years, the U.S. promoted the idea of safeguarding Afghan women’s rights as a part of the rationale for its fight against the Taliban, a cause first championed by President George W. Bush. But President Donald Trump’s impatience with the U.S. troop presence in Afghanistan, and the uncertainty surrounding a potential peace process, could jeopardize two decades of progress for Afghan women, who have gained a foothold in the workplace and in political life, according to rights advocates, Afghan officials, and former U.S. officials…” (De Luce, 2/23).